New Modrý Zub Thai Restaurant in Anděl

Andel is the new “it” location, says Helena, manager of the Modry Zub Anděl that recently opened in the area. Its shops, bars, restaurants, shopping center, trams, and metro station make it a hub of bustling activity. To be situated in the center of it all is like “a present from heaven,” says Helena.

The benefits of an Andel address were certainly evident on a recent Friday afternoon. At 15:00, generally an odd hour to be eating out, quite a few people could be found enjoying their meals at the Andel Modry Zub. This is the third Modry Zub to open in Prague. The 14-year-old Thai chain’s other two restaurants, the one on Jindrissicka and the one on Spalena, enjoy a strong reputation. There are more favorable than negative reviews on Modry Zub’s Yelp page, comments along the lines of, “Did not expect to find authentic Thai food in Prague. Very authentic,” and “Hands down best Thai in Prague!”

That Friday afternoon saw two girls in their 20s, a couple in its 40s, a middle-aged man, and an elderly gentleman, all grouped about the high tables and counters of the main dining room. The restaurant’s interior is industrial-chic. Its pale wood tables are like the worktables of some scrupulously clean carpenter. Patrons sit on high-backed chairs painted teal, black, and grey to match the writing, in several Asian languages, on the far wall. It’s clear much attention has been paid to the ordering of the space, from the hexagonal cages that cover the overhead lights, to the geometric panes of glass that cover the front of the bar, to the bronze runners that cover the corners of the walls, and reflect the light in such a way as to make the central dining area appear larger than it is. It’s all very minimalist, and very trendy.

One can thank the architect Krystof Blazek for the modern feel of the Andel Modry Zub. Blazek also designed Aichisuhi on V Jáme, a venue that is likewise marked by clean lines, wood tables, and hexagonal shapes. “This design is popular in London, in Berlin,” explains Helena. But “it’s very new on the market here.”

The craze for Thai food is also relatively new to Prague. The Asian cuisine is “extremely popular lately.” She explains there has been a “madness with opening restaurants” that specialize in Thai food, just as, not too long ago, there was a madness for burger joints. But not many Czech people really “know what it takes” to run a Thai restaurant, she says.

So, what does it take? And what sets Modry Zub apart from all those venues that are simply “copying” what is currently popular in the Prague culinary scene? Quite a few things, as it turns out.

For one, the chain’s owner, Frantisek Ludacka, who also owns the restaurant Blue Light near Charles Bridge, is a frequent visitor to Thailand. He goes often and chooses many of his cooks from the country. (The head chef at the Andel Modry Zub is a French specialist, Denis Baptiste).

Thanks to his and his staff’s familiarity with Thai culture, they’re able to offer what many other Thai restaurants in Prague do not.

Not many restaurants offer Mu Ping, for instance, a delicious starter dish. A kind of pork kebab, Mu Ping is popular street-food in Thailand, or “traditional street BBQ skewers.” The meat is tender and buttery, and makes a strong case for ordering nothing but starter dishes for the whole of one’s meal.

Additionally, and interestingly, Modry Zub does not stick exclusively to Thai cuisine. You will find dishes from several Asian countries listed on the menu: sushi from Japan, noodles from Korea, and “specialties” from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

If you still remain unconvinced of Modry Zub’s appeal, perhaps you should pull up a seat next to its open kitchen. At the Andel Modry Zub, you can sit in front of a counter and watch as the staff prepares your food.

For it is, after all, all about the food. “I can eat the starters over and over,” enthuses Helena. No matter the location, Ang Thong, Thailand, or Andel, Prague, that is, after all, precisely the kind of reaction a restaurant ought to elicit.Modrý Zub Anděl on Prague.TV